Mephitis mephatis (Schreber, 1776)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5684751 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6582133 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC87EC-9122-FB53-FA50-F497F632DD2A |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Mephitis mephatis |
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Striped Skunk
French: Moufette rayée / German: Streifenskunk / Spanish: Mofeta rayada
Taxonomy. Viverra mephitis Schreber, 1776 View in CoL ,
eastern Canada [Province of Quebec].
A complete taxonomic revision has not been done since 1901. Thirteen subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
M. m. mephitis Schreber, 1776 — E Canada.
M. m. avia Bangs, 1898 — Midwestern USA (Most of Illinois, N half of Missouri & E half of Kansas).
M. m. elongata Bangs, 1895 — E & SE USA (Virginia S to E Georgia, Florida, S Alabama & Mississippi).
M. m. estor Merriam, 1890 — W USA (S Utah through Arizona and W New Mexico) to N Mexico (Sonora & Chihuahua).
M. m. holzerni Mearns, 1897 — SW USA (S California).
M. m. hudsonica Richardson, 1829 — C & W Canada and NC USA (from NE Washington to Wisconsin and S into Colorado).
M. m. major Howell, 1901 — NW USA (N Nevada & Utah to Oregon & Idaho).
M. m. mesomelas Lichtenstein, 1832 — S USA (W Texas & Oklahoma to Arkansas & Louisiana).
M. m. nigra Peale & Palisot de Beauvois, 1796 — SE Canada (New Brunswick & Nova Scotia) and E USA (from New England to Ohio & Indiana and S to Mississippi & Alabama.
M. m. notata Howell, 1901 — NW USA (C Washington).
M. m. occidentalis Baird, 1858 — W USA (N California to SW Oregon).
M. m. spissigrada Bangs, 1898 — NW USA (W Washington).
M. m. varians Gray, 1837 — S Great Plains USA (E New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma & Kansas) S to NW Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 23-40 cm (males), 17-34 cm (females), tail length 20- 47 cm (males), 15-36.3 cm (females); weight 0.8-4.1 kg (males), 0.6-3.6 kg (females). Striped Skunks are about the size of house cats, with small triangularshaped heads. The basic color of skunksis black and white, but other colors, such as brown and red, have been observed in the wild. The typical pattern seen in Striped Skunksis the white “V7” down the back and a white bar running between the eyes from the forehead to the middle of the rostrum. Color pattern in Striped Skunksis highly variable and can range from completely black to completely white (non-albino). The striping pattern cannot be used to determine the sex of the animal, nor can it be used to predict how much snow will fall. Skunks are born with theirstripes before they have hair. The nose pad is relatively small, and the ears are small and rounded. Striped Skunks have short stocky legs and five toes on each foot. They walk on the soles (plantigrade) of their feet. Occasionally, the heel of the hindfeet will be lifted off the ground when they walk. The claws on the front feet are longer than those of the back feet. The tail is less than half the total body length, with long flowing hairs. The skull is heavy and squarish and widest at the attachment of the zygomata, and the forehead is convex. The dental formula for Striped Skunks is 13/3, C1/1,P 3/3, M 1/2, for a total of 34 teeth. The anal secretions of this animal are composed of several major volatile components. These components include: E)-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-1-butanethiol, S-(E)-2-butenyl thioacetate, $-3-methylbutanyl thioacetate, 2-methylquinoline, 2-quinolinemethanethiol, and $2-quinolinemethyl thioacetate.
Habitat. Striped Skunks use a variety of habitats and tend to be more numerous where good cover and abundant food are available. They can be found in open, exposed arcas, but prefer brushy, weedy stream and gulch bottoms or canyons. In open areas they will burrow into banks or even level ground and as a result are able to occupy many habitats. Other habitats where they can be found include a mixture of woodlands, brushy corners, and open fields broken by wooded ravines and rocky outcrops. They will also utilize cultivated areas, pasture, and hay crops. In other parts of their range they use wetlands surrounded by agricultural areas, grasslands, woodlot edges, fencelines, and refuse piles. Striped Skunks may not have a preference for any particular habitat as long as food and shelter are available.
Food and Feeding. Striped Skunks are opportunistic omnivores. With the exception of lima beans, most skunks will eat almost anything. They will feast primarily on insects, such as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, moths, cutworms, caterpillars, bees, and wasps. They also will eat earthworms, snakes, snails, clams, crayfish, fish, frogs, mice, moles, rats, squirrels, wild fruits, grains, corn, nuts, birds’ eggs, carrion, and garbage. Striped Skunks use their long foreclawsto dig for insects and grubs. They will search in rotten or fallen logs for mice and insects. Around gardens they will forage forripe fruits and vegetables, but they primarily are looking for insects, and benefit gardeners by eating insects that can damage garden crops. They also will take advantage of any pet food left outside.
Activity patterns. Striped Skunks are crepuscular or nocturnal. In the northern part of their range they may go into a torpor (they are not true hibernators) during cold spells or when snow coveris particularly deep. However, in the southern parts of the range, they may actually be more active during the milder winters. When a Striped Skunk perceives a threat,its first responseis to run away. If that does not work, it will spray a noxious chemical from the anal scent glands. However, before spraying, skunks use a series of threat behaviors. They will stomp the ground with both front feet. Sometimes they will charge forward a few paces and then stomp or will edge backwards while dragging their front feet, all the while with the tail up in the air. Each scent gland has a nipple associated with it and skunks can aim and direct the spray with highly coordinated muscle control. When a skunk is being chased by a predator, but cannot see the predator, the spray is emitted as an atomized cloud that the predator must run through. This is the “shotgun” method and usually is enough to deter most predators.
When the skunk has a target to focus on the spray is emitted as a stream directed at the predator’s face. This is the “357 Magnum” technique. Trapped or cornered skunks will curl into a “U” shape so that both ends face the predator.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Home ranges of Striped Skunks can be quite variable depending on the available resources (food and shelter primarily).
Where there is plenty of food, skunks will tend to have smaller ranges. Home ranges are reported for anywhere from 0-5 km? to over 12 km?. Although Striped Skunks are often found dead on the road, they tend to avoid crossing roads with heavy traffic, and these roads can set the boundaries for some home ranges. During the winter months in the northern part of their range, Striped Skunks become more sedentary and cover less area on their nightly forays. In the southern part of their range, their home ranges remain about the samesize year-round. Striped Skunks are solitary most of the time. In the winter females (and occasionally a single male) may den together to conserve heatand body fat. Most malesare solitary during the winter. In the southern partof the range communal dens are rarely found during the winter months. During the summer femalesraise their young, and by early fall the young have left the den.
Breeding. Striped Skunk usually breed from February through March and the young are born starting in April, but births can continue until early June. These skunks usually only go into estrus once a year. However,if a litter is lost early a second litter may be produced. Striped Skunks will breed in their first year, and young males will exhibit breeding behavior in mid- to late summerof their first year, although they are not yet in reproductive condition. Females are usually in estrus for about a week and a half. Striped Skunks are induced ovulators. Ovulation occurs between 40 and 50 hours after first insemination. Males will breed with many females given the opportunity. Most of the females become pregnant by the end ofthe breeding season. Gestation usually lasts from 59-77 days. Females that breed early in the season may undergo a short period of delayed implantation. Striped Skunks can have as many as twelve offspring perlitter, but the average is about 5-7. Females usually have twelve mammae, but the number can range from ten to15. Young skunks are born blind, deaf, and naked. Within a couple of days the black and white hairs cover the pink and white skin. They are born with their scent glands intact and are capable of spraying within the first week of birth. The early scent is more a gas than a liquid. The eyes and ears open after about 28 days (sometimes earlier). After about 6-8 weeks the young are weaned. They begin to forage and explore with mom at this time. By the end of summer or early fall the young begin to disperse.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. Striped Skunks are not considered for any kind of protection as they appear to be doing well throughout their range. Some of the earliest legislation to protect skunks, in the form of closed trapping seasons, was in New York in 1894. Farmers recognized that skunks were the only effective predators of the hop grub and their service in combating the grub made them valuable assets. Striped Skunks are known to harbor numerous ectoparasites and endoparasites, including fleas, lice, ticks, mites, and various helminth infestations. Intestinal roundworms, nematodes, and lung flukes have been reported. Parasite loads can be a major contributor to mortality. Skunks are a primary vector of rabies in some parts of their range. They also have been found to be infected with canine distemper, histoplasmosis, leptospirosis, listerosis, mycoplasma, pulmonary aspergillosis, sarcocystis, streptococcus, toxoplasma, tularemia, and West Nile Virus. Natural mammalian predators for skunks include humans, domestic dogs, coyotes, red foxes, lynx, bobcats, badgers, mountain lions, and fishers. Various birds of prey including great horned owls, eagles, crows, and vultures also will eat skunks. Turnover in skunk populations is high, so a large percentage of animals in any population consist of young of the year. The average lifespan for wild skunksis about 2-3-5 years. However, Striped Skunks kept in captivity live on average to about 8-12 years of age.
Bibliography. Bailey (1931), Baird (1857), Bangs (1895, 1898a), Bentler et al. (2007), Blanton et al. (2006), Doty & Dowler (2006), Ganley-Leal et al. (2007), Gehrt (2005), Gehrt et al. (2006), Gray (1837), Greenwood & Sargeant (1994), Hall (1981), Hass (2003), Hass & Dragoo (2006), Howell (1901), Hwang et al. (2007), Kelker (1937), Lantz (1923), Mearns (1897a, 1897b), Merriam (1890b), Neiswenter & Dowler (2007), Neiswenter etal. (2006), Rosatte (1988), Verts (1967), Wade-Smith & Richmond (1978a, 1978b), Wade-Smith & Verts (1982), Wood (1990).
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